Anything about?

Not a lot, I feel, as the year draws inevitably to an end. But then there's another year and there's only one thing I can be sure of: something unexpected will turn up somewhere. Let it be in Yorkshire!

November 11th: reports of up to 6 red-crested pochards drew me to Tophill Low and to D reservoir. I realised I would have a better view if I walked through the woodland to the new hide.

November 11th: a trip to Swine Moor and a walk along the bank that runs alongside the River Hull in order to look for a lesser yellowlegs. I met two birders who said they'd seen it and told me where to look. I couldn't find the bird although I found a lot of redshank where they had said I should look. Unfortunately the light was very difficult as many birds were silhouettes and, worst of all, a large white horse kept putting everything up. I did see a good number of barnacle geese which surprised me. 

November 12th: Swillington Ings. I parked by the crane and set off to walk to Middle Ings in search of the glossy ibis. This was my second attempt and although I met a group of birders who told me where the bird was [a mere 30 feet in front of me deep in the marshland scrub] I never saw it and the people drifted away.

A great crested grebe in unusual light.

Consolation was a chance to photograph a covey of grey partridges.

November 17th: Hartlepool harbour and Ward Jackson Park. I had seen the slavonian grebes a few times but this time they were together which was nice.  Also close by drake and duck eiders. I like the duck photo very much.

Ward Jackson Park had little to offer until I spotted a great spotted woodpecker high up in a tree by the lake.

Also seen:

December 12th: Scarborough and Bempton. To stop incipient madness I knew I needed to get out in the fresh air and go birding. So I went to Scarborough and parked on Marine Drive. The parking meters had their winter coats on so that was a good start. The peregrine up on the cliff was not feeling very active as when I returned later from my walk round the harbour it hadn't moved. Second photo shows a great northern diver far out in the bay at Scarborough followed by another in the harbour itself.

I drove next to Bempton. Short-eared owls were active but distant but a thrill to watch as usual especially when two were in the air together. Spot this one on the ground - the R7 did well to get a reasonable focus [cropped image].

225 UK 2023